Americans too easily fall for Republican lies about the budget

The free expression of opinions is the lifeblood of democracy, but policy must be based upon facts for the democracy to survive. What separates fact from opinion is that facts are demonstrably true, though the proofs may take longer than a sound bite.

In a world where our competitors and enemies are focused on facts, we place ourselves at a disadvantage by leaning on fantasies.

Witness the game of thrones playing out in Washington. The same people who turned a budget surplus into a deficit — cutting taxes from the top down while opening a two-front war — proclaim that the only way to narrow the deficit they created is to reduce taxes even more.

They speak of cutting entitlements that people rely upon for life and health — Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid — while protecting the interests of the entitled to gamble unholy sums without risk of failure.

Their games sap confidence required to create jobs. The grotesque spectacle of candidates spending fortunes to get elected should shine a spotlight on what is at stake — the demands of those who have money to secure power by any means necessary, including the big lie. Test for truth.